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Unlikely Contender With Roots In Tampa Shows America That He's Got Talent
NBC
Throughout most of the '60s, Paul Salos was a regular at Tampa nightclubs such as Chez Louie and Hawaiian Village.
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Published: September 17, 2008
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It has been more than 35 years since Paul Salos played Tampa. And there may be some people here who remember the singer and impressionist. He could croon like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Perry Como.
Throughout most of the '60s, Salos was a regular at Tampa nightclubs such as Chez Louie and Hawaiian Village. Those watering holes are long gone, but Salos, who turns 72 next week, is riding high as one of the 10 finalists on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
An unlikely contender in this "American Idol" age, he has a shot at winning the title. Just getting this far is amazing. More than 300,000 auditioned.
He doesn't look 72. He doesn't look exactly like Sinatra, but he sounds like him. And when he gets onstage, the style and charm kick in. He has been winning over young people who never even heard of Ol' Blue Eyes.
"My father has a lot of charisma, and he's been doing Sinatra for more than 50 years," says Salos' son, Paul Jr.
The younger Salos grew up in Tampa and graduated from Hillsborough High School in 1979. He lives in Shelby, N.C., where he works with Emergency Medical Services. He moonlights as a drummer in a Celtic rock and blues band.
Today, however, Paul Jr.; his sons, River, 3, and Clay, 6; and wife, Danya, are in Los Angeles to root for his father. After tonight's performances, which begin at 8 on NBC, the public will narrow the field to five.
"My father's a great entertainer, an ultimate showman but with none of the pompous attitude," says Paul Jr.
His father, who can't talk to the media until after the competition, joined the Air Force in 1956 and was assigned to Tops in Blue, the Air Force's traveling entertainment service.
He spent six years traveling from base to base singing for the troops. He ended his tour at MacDill and started performing in Tampa area nightclubs.
At one point, his act included 40 impressions, mostly singers, from Frankie Lane to Johnny Mathis. Sinatra is his best.
In the 1970s, the elder Salos started going on the road. He played fewer Tampa dates and headed west to Garland, Texas, near Dallas.
He has been performing ever since. But the venues have changed. Nightclubs that cater to people who would dance to Sinatra have just about disappeared. But Salos is not going away.
"America's Got Talent" has already changed his career forever. He's a YouTube star. Check him out at Walt TV on TBOextra.com.
EARLY EMMYS: HBO's stellar miniseries "John Adams," NBC's brilliantly funny "30 Rock" and AMC's haunting "Mad Men" have the most Emmy nominations this year, and they've already picked up a few at the Creative Arts Emmys, which were handed out this past Saturday.
This annual event honors such things as costuming, special effects, casting, sound, lighting, editing and so on.
Other early winners include Tim Conway, for a guest role on "30 Rock," and Cynthia Nixon, for a guest role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
"The Simpsons" won a 10th Emmy for outstanding animated series. A recap of the Creative Arts Emmys also is available on TBOextra.com. You also can watch a taped presentation of the event on E! at 8 p.m. Saturday, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Chalke. The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards air at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC.
Among the more unusual "creative arts" winners was the Emmy for the best commercial. It went to "Swear Jar," an ad for Bud Light. But it never aired on TV. Deemed too raunchy for broadcast, it has become an online hit.
It depicts what happens to an office when a swear jar is introduced, and workers are told a case of Bud Light will be bought with the proceeds. You can see this on Walt TV, too.
TUNE IN TONIGHT
Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads, 9 p.m., WEDU, Channel 3
The Grammy-winning band from San Angelo, Texas, is profiled with concert footage and interviews.
'Til Death, 9 p.m. Fox
Eddie (Brad Garrett) buys a red convertible and Joy (Joely Fisher) thinks he's having a midlife crisis.
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